2025 News
Holger Nickel
Holger Nickel is a recent Idaho State University graduate with an M.A. in History, of which he is very passionate. His work focused on comparative analysis of the legacies of the student movement of the 1960s in the United States and Germany.
Holger said he decided to pursue graduate school at ISU because of the faculty in the history department. His favorite part of the graduate school experience has been meeting new challenges head-on.
He has considered the idea of continuing his education to pursue a Ph.D., but is unsure of his future endeavors.
Holger is a retired tennis director and still plays tennis often. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family, including his eight great-grandchildren.
Tali Rotman
Dr. Tali Rotman is a recent and first graduate of the Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences program. Tali graduated in May 2025 and will begin her position as an assistant professor for Idaho State University in June, where she will be teaching, conducting research, and working in the audiology clinic on the Meridian campus.
"This position brings together everything I love about the field of audiology, and I’m truly excited to return to ISU—this time as a faculty member," she said. "I believe my experience as a former student will provide valuable insight and perspective in my work as a professor and researcher."
Tali believes her greatest accomplishment throughout her graduate school career, and what she is most proud of, is the recognition and confidence shown by the faculty in inviting her to join their team as both an instructor and a researcher after graduation.
"During our conversation about potential pathways at ISU, Dr. Bergen encouraged me to apply to the Ph.D. program and offered me a position as a graduate teaching assistant," she said. "This role came with a full scholarship, making it an excellent opportunity—one I was excited to accept."
"What defines me is my goal-oriented mindset and persistence in pursuing what I want to achieve," she said. "At the same time, I value living in the moment and always try to see the bright side of every experience."
ISU Computer Science PhD Student and Professor Win Best Paper Award!
Congratulations to Md Fazle Rabbi (PhD student, Computer Science) and Dr. Minhaz Zibran (Associate Professor, Computer Science) for winning the Best Paper Award in the mining challenge track at the 22nd IEEE International Conference on Mining Software Repositories (MSR 2025) held in Ottawa, Canada in April 28-29, 2025.
The award-winning paper entitled "Faster Releases, Fewer Risks: A Study on Maven Artifact Vulnerabilities and Lifecycle Management" analyzes the release histories of 10,000 Maven artifacts, covering over 203,000 releases with 1.7 million dependencies, and uncovers software security vulnerabilities resulting from component dependencies and library reuse.
This research was conducted at the Software Engineering and Cybersecurity Research Team (SECReT), advised by Dr. Zibran, and collaborated with their colleagues at the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology in Bangladesh.
Rebecca Hazard
PhD candidate, Rebecca Hazard, has received an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant for her dissertation project titled "Examination of Microbial and Botanical Ecological Fingerprints." Congratulations, Rebecca!
Christopher Amrobo Enemuwe
Christopher presented a co-authored paper on research titled "Apply AI technology in the surveillance of intimate partner violence among women in Liberia" at the 2025 American Society for Public Administration Conference in Washington, DC, in March.
The research delves into how AI can be used as a source of good in reducing the prevalence of intimate violence through data analysis and pattern recognition, raising public awareness, and law enforcement application," he said. "The idea is not to build big data centers in rural areas in Liberia, where internet connectivity might be either low or the usage of Androids or iPhones is low."
"Although such a notion may be suggested in urban areas like Monrovia, the functionality of any intricate device/technology may provide difficulties in documenting instances of violence against women, as most women might face the challenge of being technologically savvy."
"Nevertheless, basic automated text messaging linked to telecommunication networks is self-instructive due to its user-friendliness for reporting incidents, akin to texting 911 with an automated response that connects to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, law enforcement, local NGOs, and other key stakeholders who can follow up on a case."
Amanda Stevens
Amanda, a doctoral candidate and teaching assistant in English and the Teaching of English, recently attended the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) annual conference in Los Angeles, California. She presented "Outside is Transgressive: Western Space as Social Freedom in The Love of Landry" at Cal State LA. Congratulations, Amanda!
Choudhury Amir Hamza
Choudhury, a doctoral student in Political Science, recently presented his research, "Response Paradox in Multi-Emergencies: COVID-19 amidst Floods in Bangladesh," at the American Society for Public Administration Conference in Washington, D.C. This is his first year as a doctoral student, and he plans to graduate in 2028. Congratulations Choudhury!
Najmeh Dehghanitafti
Congratulations to Namjeh Dehghanitafti, who was featured in the English Department Success Story! Namjeh is an international student from Iran and a graduate of the ISU English Department. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics.
2025 Research and Creative Works Symposium Winners
Undergraduate Poster Presentation 1st Place | Diana Cortez - Biological & Natural Sciences
Undergraduate Poster Presentation 2nd Place | Kyla Johnston - Engineering, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Undergraduate Oral Presentation 1st Place | Prem Shah - Engineering, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Undergraduate Oral Presentation 2nd Place | Andrija Sevaljevic - Education, Learning & Training
Graduate Poster Presentation - Biological & Natural Sciences | Anna Sniadach - Geology - MS
Graduate Poster Presentation - Business, Economics & Public Administration | Susana Agudelo - Business Administration - MBA
Graduate Poster Presentation - Education, Learning & Training | Emilee Knapp - Nursing Practice -DNP
Graduate Poster Presentation - Engineering, Physical & Mathematical Sciences | Saugat Dotel - Civil Engineering - MS
Graduate Poster Presentation - Health, Nutrition & Clinical Sciences | Christopher Nicolet - Pharmaceutical Science - PhD
Graduate Poster Presentation - Humanities, Behavior & Social Sciences | Spencer Moore - Anthropology - MS
Graduate Oral Presentation - Biological & Natural Sciences | Pooja Sapkota - Pharmaceutical Science - PhD
Graduate Oral Presentation - Business, Economics & Public Administration | Rehnaz Karanjia - Business Administration - MBA
Graduate Oral Presentation - Education, Learning & Training | Emily Fitterer - Deaf Education - MS
Graduate Oral Presentation - Engineering, Physical & Mathematical Sciences | Md Fazel Rabbi - Engineering & Applied Science - PhD
Graduate Oral Presentation - Health, Nutrition & Clinical Sciences | Dallen Farmer - Homeland Security and Emergency Management - MS
Graduate Oral Presentation - Humanities, Behavior & Social Sciences | Kierra Burns - English - MA
Creative Works Presentation | Riley Ortiz - Undergraduate
Hassan Oyindamola Taiwo
Hassan Oyindamola Taiwo, a passionate linguist from Nigeria, shares his transformative journey as an English master's student at Idaho State University, embracing academic growth, cultural integration, and future aspirations. Read more about Hassan's journey in the International Student Voices feature.
Grad Bengals at a Physical Therapy Conference
Congratulations to Alexandra Amico and Lillian France, who both attended the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Section Meeting (CSM). #APTACSM is the largest physical therapy conference in the country. Learn more about Idaho State University's Physical Therapy degrees.
Congrats to Our State 3MT Competitors!
Congratulations to our 2024 3MT Winners for representing ISU for the state 3MT title! We are so proud of your accomplishments and dedication.
Callan Norby | Chemistry - MS
Arifa Islam Champa | Engineering & Applied Science - PhD
Md Fazle Rabbi | Engineering & Applied Science - PhD
Dallin Stokes | Microbiology - MS